Lee Schilly GM
Titusville Chrysler Jeep Dodge RAM
Titusville, FL
AutoUSA: Can you tell me a little bit about your dealership and your background in the industry?
Lee: Our dealership just north of Cape Canaveral has been here for about 27 years. During the era when the space center was operating and fully staffed we did real well. Changes in the economy and challenges with Chrysler hurt for a while but over the last few years, since Ive been here we have turned things around, found ways to improve, and our volume is up to about 80 units a month. Some dealers reading this might not be too impressed but when you start with a location doing about 17 units a month that is an incredible achievement.
AutoUSA: What is the size and structure of your Internet Department?
Lee: As a small store we dont have a formal Internet Department so I basically take the lead in this area. I make the initial contact with the web prospects and after identifying some information about them and their needs, I turn the lead over to one of our sales team members. I work to match up the salesperson that might have the most in common with the prospect to help insure they are comfortable in the sales process.
AutoUSA: What do you do that is different from your competition?
Lee: I am a firm believer that effort=results, therefore its important to respond quickly to every Internet lead, make sure our sales team follows up and have everything waiting and ready when the prospect arrives in the showroom. We pay attention to the details and our customers appreciate it. We are also fortunate to have a great team in our service department and they have an awesome reputation in our market. That gives us first shot at customers looking to replace vehicles and helps to build a long term, complete relationship with them.
AutoUSA: Do you use independent lead providers? And what is your experience with them?
Lee: AutoUSA is our exclusive independent lead provider and the quality of their leads is second to none. Additionally we use the ShowPRO program and that enhances our ratio for prospects showing up for appointments and test drives. We know if we can get them to come in, then we can sell them. We continually test how far we can go geographically and adjust our range based on our results. Just the other day we closed a lead and he drove two hours to our store from his home.
AutoUSA: What types of marketing and advertising do you do to increase web traffic?
Lee: Our primary advertising channels are radio, television and Internet. We dont do any print ads at this point. Our digital spend is about one third of our budget, and when we purchase radio time we focus on the stations we know our customers listen to the most. That allows us to target our audience. Cable TV is the same and allows us to target our message to audiences with a likelihood of buying our products.
http://www.titusvillechryslerjeepdodge.com/
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